Vol. XXI, No. 235 [ BusinessWorld Online ]
Tuesday, July 1, 2008 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
GOKONGWEI-OWNED property developer Robinsons Land Corp. is giving prospective clients a virtual walk-through of its condominium projects as it tries to expand its market.
Instead of being shown model units of an unfinished condominium, clients are led to a virtual showroom that features head-mounted displays and joysticks. Flexible payment schemes are then introduced using its property investment calculator dubbed Realty Check.
Raoul E. Littaua, senior vice-president of Robinsons Land’s residential buildings division, said the virtual realty campaign seeks to encourage more interaction with its market by letting guests experience firsthand a walk-through of the company’s condominium projects.
"Virtual Realty serves as a convenient tool for us to feature Robinsons Land condominium units," he said in a statement.
He added that through the Realty Check feature, interested buyers may gauge the investment options by using the booth’s Flash-based calculator, which gives condominium choices based on buyers’ resources and preferred locations.
"We want to change the landscape of real estate exhibits and take advantage of technology to bring informative and empowering exhibits to the market," Mr. Littaua said.
Through the Virtual Realty booth, prospective buyers or investors have a chance to see condominium units of Robinsons Land’s three real estate properties, namely Sonata Private Residences in Ortigas Center, Pasig; Woodsville Viverde Mansions in Parañaque; and the Trion Towers located at the corner of 8th Avenue and McKinley Parkway in Taguig.
Reservation fees for condominium units in all projects cost P50,000.
Mr. Littaua said six more real estate projects would be featured in the Virtual Realty scheme in the next quarter.
"We have plans of showcasing not only condominium units, but also the amenities available for each of the projects — viewers would be able to experience walking through our gardens and lounging through our pools," he said in an interview.
He added that they were looking at including provincial projects in the simulation by next year.
Asked whether the US recession has an impact on the business, Mr. Littaua said: "We have had a cut on American buyers, but with the local market, there has been no problem."
He added that the company remains strong, with a five-year turnover period — three years for construction and another two years before the units are sold out.
Mall exhibits featuring the Virtual Realty booths will start on July 4 at the Atrium at Robinsons Galleria in Pasig City.
A listed company, Robinsons Land is the Gokongwei group’s corporate vehicle in the property sector.
The company has a diversified portfolio in the housing sector that caters to the upscale, mid-market and mass housing. It has a broad range of residential housing development, including socialized and low-cost housing provided under government programs that encourage home ownership.
Robinsons Land claims to be the country’s largest domestic hotel owner. It owns the Crowne Plaza, Manila Midtown Hotel and Cebu Midtown Hotel.
It also develops and operates the Robinsons shopping complexes, and has embarked on high-rise development with the Robinsons-PCI Bank Tower. — Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez
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